Spartacus In The Future

one

Stifling a yawn, I tried hard to keep my eyes open in class. My World History professor rambled on in his monotone voice, giving his third lecture of the day while his poor students struggled to keep from succumbing to some much needed sleep. A tap on my shoulder from behind jolted me upright and I turned my head to smile at my best friend, Angelica while she mocked a grimace towards Mr. Donovan.

"This guy only has two levels; psychotic and comatose. There is no in between!" she whispered sharply, recieving my approving giggle.

"In addition, the Romans were cruel and demeaning to their slaves. Much worse than how the southern plantation owners treated theirs. They demanded blood sweat and tears round the clock. Some of the male slaves were even forced to fight as gladiators while the women stayed in the house and were treated as sex slaves."

Frowning, I felt sorry for the Roman's slaves. It sounded barbaric.

When class finally ended, I gathered my things and stempeded through the door with the rest of my peers, aching for loud noise and movement.

"Hoy shit, I thought I was at a funeral for a while there. That guy is such a nut." Angelica said from beside me.

"If I'd have known college was this uneventful, I would have stayed with my parents and joined the family business!" I replied.

"And take up dusting off old trinkets at the museum?" she asked with a laugh of doubt.

"Well, class was kind of helpful today. My dad just got a shipment of old Roman artifacts he wants to show me. I'm heading there now."

"Well have fun. Don't get into too much trouble with Shaun!" she said with a wink, slipping out the door and down the sidewalk to her car.

Shaking my head, I did the same in the opposite direction.

***************************************************

"Dad!' I called, going behind the information desk to set my things down.

The museum lay empty before me, and I could hear the beeping of a large truck in reverse coming from the back room. I moved to investigate.

Inside the warehouse, I foound my father shutting the shipping garage door and turning towards a large crate. Must be the new shipment.

"Hey dad." I said.

He looked up and smiled, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Hey honey. Havent seen you all week. I wanted to show you the new digs." he said, prying the wooden box pen with a crowbar.

I walked closer and looked inside as he began pulling packages out.

"Oh wow, look at this Chels!" he said, unwrapping the object.

Holding it up, the rusted steel of the blade barely held a shine under the light but it was a real sword.

"Wow, you think it belonged to an old gladiator?" I asked as he handed it to me.

I brandished the sword like a wuss due to the weight of it, but it made me feel like I'd slipped back into Roman times.

Pulling something smaller from the crate, my dad smiled as he unpackaged it.

"Oooh, this is lovely." he said.

From a small bubble wrapped bag, he drew an emerald pendant in the shape of a teardrop on a glistening silver chain. It certainly did not look old and worn like the rest of the stuff inside the crate. he held it up towards me.

"Here, put it on. lets see how it looks." dad said.

"No dad, we can't play with that stuff."

"Come on, I practically own this place. I cant do whatever I want. Here, take it. As a gift."